Orange County Homeowner's Guide To Effective Attic Cleaning

Rodent Waste

When rodents get into your attic spaces, they will cause quite a bit of damage, and this is going to leave a mess. But mice and rats don't just rip up your attic spaces and chew on everything, they also leave behind feces and urine. Rodents aren't considerate enough to go outside to use the restroom. We don't have to tell you that this is gross and unsanitary or that it should be cleaned up, but what you might not know is that the waste that rodents leave in your attic is more than just a mess to clean up. The scent of this waste can attract other rodents.

Rodent Waste Attracts Other Rodents

Mice and rats have a preference for spaces that have already been lived in by rodents. They probably figure that if rodents have used the space before, it's a safe space to use. More important than this, they use their strong sense of smell to detect the scent of urine and feces inside the space and it helps them to orient themselves. Mice and rats have poor eyesight and need to use their other senses to navigate. This is how they can move about in pitch dark with no problem at all.

One of the most important benefits of a professional attic cleaning service is that you'll make your attic spaces less attractive to any rodents that happen to find their way inside, and it can also keep rodents outside of your home from catching the scent and chewing holes to get in.

Rodent Waste Is Harmful

The feces and urine rodents leave in your attic space can reduce the air quality in your home and also present a health risk. Any time you clean up rodent waste, you should use protective clothing and wear a respirator or mask. This material should not be left in your attic space! Our team uses specialized equipment and methods to clean up the waste that rodents leave behind.

Other Issues That Can Be Corrected By An Attic Cleaning

If rodents have been in your attic spaces, there is likely to be rodent hair, blood, and maybe even some dead rodents lying around. All of these create a health risk. They're also an attractant for other pests. Carpet beetles, for example, will multiply like crazy in an attic space that has rodent hair or dead rodents. We address these contaminants to help reduce secondary pest problems and the potential for additional health concerns.

Fleas & Ticks

Rodents don't typically come into your home alone. They bring lots of ticks, fleas, and other parasites in with them. A thorough cleaning of your attic space will address these parasites. This will further reduce the health risks as ticks and fleas spread a long list of diseases, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Added Services

A thorough cleaning of your attic space is very important after you've had a rodent infestation, but it isn't the only step that should be taken. If you had a pest control company other than HomeShield Pest Control remove the rodents from your attic space, you may need to consider rodent-proofing services and attic insulation replacement.

Some companies don't offer these services:

• Rodent-Proofing: It isn't enough to just get rid of rodents. You have to prevent rodents from continuing to enter your home. This is done by performing a detailed inspection and by using caulking, expanding foam, metal flashing, hardware cloth, and other materials to keep rodents out.
• Insulation Replacement: If rodents have made a mess of your attic's insulation, this issue can be addressed during your cleaning. The current insulation can be removed and new insulation can be installed. Not only does this get rid of waste contamination that is in the insulation (which is impossible to fully clean), it fixes any gaps that rodents have created. That's going to be great for your energy bills.